No, you are only required to get one estimate and you have the choice of where you want your vehicle repaired. It is illegal for an insurance company to "steer" you to or from a particular shop. It is your vehicle; you have the right to have it fixed where you feel comfortable.

A deductible is your financial responsibility as it applies to the repair. If you are proven not at fault in the accident, then no deductible will apply (depending on your waiver coverage). If you are at fault in the accident or if there is no other party for the insurance to go after, then you are responsible for your deductible. Your deductible ($250.00, $500.00, $1,000.00, etc.) is your responsibility and is taken off of the final claim amount. Your deductible amount is determined when you buy your insurance.

An example: The total repair amount written by the insurance company is $5,000.00. If your deductible is $500.00, then you are responsible to pay the first $500.00 of damages to the repair shop, and the insurance company is responsible for the remaining $4,500.00. The insurance company will automatically deduct your deductible from their portion of the repair check. If no insurance is involved, or if you've been deemed not at fault (i.e. the claimant), then the deductible does not apply.

There are many factors that can determine the length of repairs. On average it seems like small jobs typically take 1-2 weeks, medium sized jobs 2-4 weeks and large jobs 3-6 weeks. The extent of the damage, availability of parts, and the communication with the insurance company are the three biggest driving factors.

Please understand that a quality collision repair can sometimes be a lengthy process. Quality work takes time, and that's our focus. If you're looking for fast and cheap, we are not your shop.

If you are not deemed at fault in an accident and someone else is found at fault, then their insurance company is responsibility to provide you with a rental during your repairs. If you have rental on your own policy, then you can get a rental in any case, whether you are at fault or not. However, most rental policies have limits, and length of repairs could exceed your limits where you may have out of pocket expenses.

A supplement is the additional cost that is added to the original estimate. It consists of any increases in the prices of parts or damage that was found after the vehicle was taken apart. The original estimate is usually just a visual estimate. If the job is through insurance, the insurance company is responsible for all supplement damages minus any depreciation.

While we fight the insurance companies daily for our customers to have no additional out of pocket expenses unfortunately there are times where there may be. Every insurance company has their own guidelines on what they will or will not pay as well as every policy is written differently.

Cheap and fast is typically what the insurance company pushes, but it's just not what we do! We fight for you and your vehicle! We stick to our plan that works: repair vehicles correctly!

Labor Rates: If your insurance company does not agree to our posted labor rates, you will be responsible for the difference.

Parts: We only recommend and warranty factory "OEM" replacement parts. If your insurance company chooses "non-OEM" (aftermarket) or "LKQ" (recycled/used) in order to reduce costs, there may be additional out-of-pocket costs if you want a quality repair backed by our limited lifetime warranty.

Original Equipment Manufactured (OEM) is a term for parts made by the manufacturer of your vehicle.

These are parts not made by your vehicle manufacturer. They are also known as Quality Replacement Parts (QRP). Aftermarket parts are often much cheaper than OEM parts and might not have the same fit and function as OEM parts.

A lienholder is the bank or finance company that you financed your vehicle through. On occasion, their name will be on your repair check along with your own name (in the pay to the order of area of the check). The lienholder has to sign off on the check for the repairs and along with your signature before we can accept that check. We can assist you in getting the lienholder paperwork and getting the lienholder to sign off. If you have any questions, please contact our office. Please note this process often takes a few weeks so it needs to be started as soon as possible; we cannot deliver a vehicle without full payment.